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Objectives: Although better diet quality is inversely associated with mortality risk, the association between diet quality and mortality remains unclear in frail and non-frail older adults. Thus, we aimed to examine this association in older Japanese adults. Design: A prospective cohort study. Setting and Participants: We used the data of 8,051 Japanese older adults aged ≥65 years in the Kyoto-Kameoka study Mesurements: Dietary intake was estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Diet quality was evaluated by calculating the adherence scores to the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top (range, 0 [worst] to 80 [best]), which were stratified into quartiles. Frailty status was assessed using the validated self-administered Kihon Checklist (KCL) and the Fried phenotype (FP) model. Survival data were collected between February 15, 2012 and November 30, 2016. Statistical analysis was performed using the multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis and the spline model. Results: During the median 4.75-year follow-up (36,552 person-years), we recorded 661 deaths. After adjusting for confounders, compared with the bottom adherence score quartile, the top quartile was associated with lower hazard ratio (HR) of mortality in frailty (HR, 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54–1.00) and non-frailty, as defined by the KCL (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52–1.01). In the spline model, regardless of frailty status defined by the KCL and FP model, adherence score showed a strongly dose-dependent inverse association with mortality up to approximately 55 points; however, no significant differences were observed thereafter. This association was similar to the results obtained in individuals with physical, cognitive, and depression as domains of KCL in the spline model. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate an L-shaped association between diet quality and mortality in both frail and non-frail individuals. This study may provide important knowledge for improving poor diet quality in older individuals with frailty or domains of frailty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to examine the association of muscle evaluation, including muscle ultrasound, with hospital-associated disability (HAD), focusing on ADL categories. Design: A prospective observational cohort study. Setting and Participants: We recruited patients aged 65 years or older who were admitted to the geriatric ward of an acute hospital between October 2019 and September 2021. Measurements: Handgrip strength, bioimpedance analyzer-determined skeletal muscle mass, bilateral thigh muscle thickness (BATT), and the echo intensity of the rectus femoris on muscle ultrasound were performed as muscle assessments. HAD was evaluated separately for mobility impairments and self-care impairments. Results: In total, 256 individuals (mean age, 85.2 years; male sex, 41.8%) were analyzed. HAD in mobility was more common than HAD in self-care (37.5% vs. 30.0%). Only BATT was independently associated with HAD in mobility in multiple logistic regression analysis. There was no significant association between muscle indicators and HAD in self-care. Conclusion: A lower BATT was associated with a higher prevalence of HAD in mobility, suggesting the need to reconsider muscle assessment methods in hospitalized older adults. In addition, approaches other than physical may be required, such as psychosocial and environmental interventions to improve HAD in self-care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Defining an adequate protein intake in older adults remains unresolved. We examined the association between calibrated protein intake and comprehensive frailty by sex in the Kyoto-Kameoka study. Design: Cross-sectional study of baseline data. Setting and Participants: The study included 5679 Japanese participants aged 65 years or older. Methods: Calibration coefficients were estimated from food frequency questionnaires and 7-day dietary records as a reference. Comprehensive frailty was evaluated using the 25-item Kihon Checklist (KCL) and defined as a total KCL score of ≥7points. Sex-specific calibrated protein intakes were presented as % of energy, per kg of actual body weight (BW), and per kg of ideal BW. Results: Multiple logistic regression analysis shoed that calibrated protein intake is inversely associated with comprehensive frailty. The association between protein intake and comprehensive frailty was also evaluated using curve fitting with non-linear regression, a weak U-shaped association was found in males and an L-shaped association in females. Men had a low prevalence of frailty at a calibrated protein intake of 15–17% energy from protein, 1.2 g/kg actual BW/day, or 1.4 g/kg ideal BW/day, and women had a low prevalence of frailty at 17–21% energy from protein or 1.6 g/kg ideal BW/day, with the prevalence of frailty remaining unchanged at higher protein intakes. Meanwhile, the inverse relationship between protein intake per ABW and frailty showed a gradual decrease at 1.4 g/kg ABW/day for protein in women. Conclusions and Implications: A non-linear relationship was found between calibrated protein intake and frailty, with a U-shaped association in men and an L-shaped association in women. Adequate protein intake in healthy Japanese older adults was higher than the current recommended daily allowance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: An ABCB-type transporter for sanguinarine, a benzophenanthridine alkaloid, was isolated from Argemone mexicana seeds. An ABCB-type transporter, AmABCB1, was identified in a transcriptome from unfolding seedlings of A. mexicana by its amino acid sequence identity to previously characterized alkaloid transporters from Coptis japonica and Thalictrum minus. Expression analysis revealed mature seeds as its main location; meanwhile, in vitro assays in yeast cells showed that AmABCB1 had uptake and efflux activities for sanguinarine and berberine, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether the caste fate of social insects is determined before or after emergence is a key question for understanding the evolution of eusociality. Paper wasps are a suitable model for answering this question because there are no critical morphological differences between queens and workers in paper wasps, and these animals appear to represent an early stage of eusociality. We explored the above question by determining the effects of photoperiod during the adult stage on caste-fate determination in the paper wasp Polistes jokahamae. We collected colonies at different stages in the field and exposed emerging adults individually to long or short days. Under these isolated conditions, gyne-destined (diapausing) females were expected to exhibit large lipid stores without mature eggs, while the reverse was expected to be true for worker-destined (nondiapausing) females. The proportion of wasps with mature eggs was higher under long days in the second and subsequent broods, but not in the first brood. Lipid stores were larger among large females and under short days, and smaller for the first brood. These findings together suggest that the first brood emerges with a strong preimaginal bias toward workers (nondiapausing form), whereas the other broods emerge with no bias or an easily reversible bias. However, it is difficult to conclude whether the bias came from body size or the season of emergence. We discuss the possibility that the ancestor of paper wasps had workers with and without preimaginal bias toward becoming workers at emergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine if there is a relationship between lower-extremity muscle performance (LEMP) and physical activity, especially the physical activity level (PAL) value, in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Community-based. Participants: Participants were 54 community-dwelling and independent middle-aged and older individuals (aged 54–89 years). Measurements: Physical activity level was calculated from the total energy expenditure of each participant obtained using the doubly labeled water method (PALDLW) and estimated basal metabolic rate. Daily step count and intensity of physical activity was monitored with a triaxial accelerometer, and LEMP was assessed using the five-repetition sit-to-stand test (STS-5) and vertical jumping (VJ). Results: The results of STS-5 nearly negatively correlated with those of PALDLW when analysing the middle-aged and older man and woman, separately. VJ positively correlated with PALDLW when analysing the middle-aged and older men and woman, separately. The relationship between LEMP (e.g. STS-5 and VJ) and PAL were maintained, regardless of sex and body composition. PALDLW was significantly positively correlated with LPA, MVPA, and steps, and significantly negatively correlated with sedentary time. The relationship PALDLW and steps was described as following equation: PALDLW = 0.0000392 × steps +1.531. Conclusions: These findings suggest that PALDLW is a key contributor to increasing LEMP among middle-aged and older adults. Maintaining high PALDLW may be beneficial to independent living, and participation in recreational and social activities in middle-aged and older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the development of a frequency-domain multiplexing readout of kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) for pulse signals with a self-trigger system. The KIDs consist of an array of superconducting resonators that have different resonant frequencies individually, allowing us to read out multiple channels in the frequency domain with a single wire using a microwave-frequency comb. The energy deposited to the resonators break Cooper pairs, changing the kinetic inductance and, hence, the amplitude and the phase of the probing microwaves. For some applications such as X-ray detections, the deposited energy is detected as a pulse signal shaped by the time constants of the quasiparticle lifetime, the resonator quality factor, and the ballistic phonon lifetime in the substrate, ranging from microseconds to milliseconds. A readout system commonly used converts the frequency-domain data to the time-domain data. For the short pulse signals, the data rate may exceed the data transfer bandwidth, as the short time constant pulses require us to have a high sampling rate. In order to overcome this circumstance, we have developed a KID readout system that contains a self-trigger system to extract relevant signal data and reduces the total data rate with a commercial off-the-shelf FPGA board. We have demonstrated that the system can read out pulse signals of 15 resonators simultaneously with about 10 Hz event rate by irradiating α particles from 241Am to the silicon substrate on whose surface aluminum KID resonators are formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workers and gynes (potential queens for the next spring) of temperate paper wasps are distinguishable based on their lipid stores a few weeks after emergence. However, it was not known whether the lipid stores of worker- and gyne-destined females differ at emergence. Newly emerged females of Polistes jokahamae were divided into three categories: the first brood, comprising worker-destined individuals that are nursed only by the queen; the second brood, comprising worker- and gyne-destined individuals that are nursed by the queen and workers and emerge before male emergence; and the third brood, comprising gyne-destined individuals that emerge after the emergence of the first males. The first brood produced smaller and lighter adults with lower lipid stores. These lipid stores were lower even after adjusting for head width, which suggests the presence of a preimaginal bias toward worker caste; such a bias was not detected in the second brood. After adjusting for head width, lipid stores increased with the wet mass in the second and third broods but not in the first brood, suggesting that the component proportion of lipid stores increased but that of some other nutrients decreased with increasing wet mass in the first brood. In addition, the head width, wet mass, and lipid stores (including lipid stores divided by the head width cubed) in the first brood increased with the emergence order, whereas the fatness (wet mass divided by the head width cubed) did not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: DXA lean mass measurement for sarcopenia diagnosis is not always possible. Bioelectric impedance spectroscopy (BIS), a portable technology, is a potential alternative to DXA-measured lean mass. This pilot study explores the possibility and proposes an arbitrarily chosen potential cut-point for appendicular intracellular water corrected by height (aICW/ht2).Introduction: Sarcopenia definitions often include DXA lean mass measurement. However, DXA is not always available. We explored the potential of a less-expensive mobile method, bioelectric impedance spectroscopy (BIS), to assess lean mass for sarcopenia determination. We hypothesized that BIS-measured appendicular intracellular water (aICW/ht2) would correlate with DXA-measured appendicular lean mass (ALM)/ht2 and with functional parameters. If so, establishing an aICW/ht2 cut-point in sarcopenia definitions may be feasible.Methods: Sixty-one community-dwelling women, mean age 79.9, had BIS and DXA lean mass, grip strength, gait speed, and jumping mechanography assessments. BIS aICW was calculated using limb length and intracellular water resistance. aICW/ht2 was compared to DXA-measured ALM/ht2 by linear regression. The European Working Group ALM/ht2 and an exploratory aICW/ht2 cut-point were utilized.Results: In this cohort, ALM/ht2 and aICW/ht2 were moderately correlated, R2 = 0.55, p < 0.0001. Lean mass was low in 7 and normal in 44 by BIS and DXA. Those with low aICW/ht2 had lower grip strength (p = 0.04) and jump power (p = 0.0002) than those with normal aICW/ht2 and ALM/ht2. Subjects with low ALM/ht2 had lower jump power (p = 0.0006) but were not different in gait speed or grip strength.Conclusions: BIS aICW is correlated with DXA-measured ALM directly, and when height adjusted. An aICW/ht2 cut-point of 6.5 L/m2 identified 70% of women with low ALM/ht2. Women with low lean mass by DXA and BIS had poorer function measured by jump power. These pilot data support further evaluation of BIS measurement inclusion into sarcopenia definitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: DXA-measured lean mass is often used to assess muscle mass but has limitations. Thus, we compared DXA lean mass with two novel methods—bioelectric impedance spectroscopy and creatine (methyl-d3) dilution. The examined methodologies did not measure lean mass similarly and the correlation with muscle biomarkers/function varied.Introduction: Muscle function tests predict adverse health outcomes better than lean mass measurement. This may reflect limitations of current mass measurement methods. Newer approaches, e.g., bioelectric impedance spectroscopy (BIS) and creatine (methyl-d3) dilution (D3-C), may more accurately assess muscle mass. We hypothesized that BIS and D3-C measured muscle mass would better correlate with function and bone/muscle biomarkers than DXA measured lean mass.Methods: Evaluations of muscle/lean mass, function, and serum biomarkers were obtained in older community-dwelling adults. Mass was assessed by DXA, BIS, and orally administered D3-C. Grip strength, timed up and go, and jump power were examined. Potential muscle/bone serum biomarkers were measured. Mass measurements were compared with functional and serum data using regression analyses; differences between techniques were determined by paired t tests.Results: Mean (SD) age of the 112 (89F/23M) participants was 80.6 (6.0) years. The lean/muscle mass assessments were correlated (.57-.88) but differed (p < 0.0001) from one another with DXA total body less head being highest at 37.8 (7.3) kg, D3-C muscle mass at 21.1 (4.6) kg, and BIS total body intracellular water at 17.4 (3.5) kg. All mass assessment methods correlated with grip strength and jump power (R = 0.35-0.63, p < 0.0002), but not with gait speed or repeat chair rise. Lean mass measures were unrelated to the serum biomarkers measured.Conclusions: These three methodologies do not similarly measure muscle/lean mass and should not be viewed as being equivalent. Functional tests assessing maximal muscle strength/power (grip strength and jump power) correlated with all mass measures whereas gait speed was not. None of the selected serum measures correlated with mass. Efforts to optimize muscle mass assessment and identify their relationships with health outcomes are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trivalent iron sulfide (Fe S ) particles were synthesized using a modified polyol method. These particles exhibited a needle-like shape (diameter = 10-50 nm, length = 350-1000 nm) and generated a clear XRD pattern. Mössbauer spectra of the product showed a paramagnetic doublet at room temperature and distributed hyperfine magnetic splitting at low temperature. The Curie temperature of this material was determined to be approximately 60 K. The data suggest that the Fe S had a structure similar to that of maghemite ( γ-Fe O ) with a lattice constant of a = 10.6 Å. The XRD pattern calculated from this structure was in agreement with the experimental pattern and the calculated hyperfine magnetic field was also equivalent to that observed in the experimental Mössbauer spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser ablation in liquid is a useful mean of producing nanoparticles, based on both laser ablation (LA) and laser irradiation (LI) effects. In order to investigate the mechanism by which iron carbide nanoparticles are generated in ethanol, iron carbide nanoparticles were produced by LA of an iron block in a flowing ethanol solvent, which enabled separation and collection of the nanoparticles immediately following the process. These same particles were subsequently subjected to LI while suspended in stagnant ethanol. Both the LA and LA/LI nanoparticles were assessed using Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. LA in flowing ethanol was found to produce nanoparticles composed of cementite (FeC) and other metastable iron carbides with an average size of 16 nm, dispersed in amorphous carbon. LI of the LA nanoparticles suspended in ethanol increased the particle size to 38 nm and changed the composition to pure FeC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A PZT type telescope for observations of gravity gradient and lunar rotation was developed, and a Bread Board Model (BBM) for ground experiments was completed. Some developments were made for the BBM such as a tripod with attitude control system, a stable mercury pool and a method for collecting the effects of vibrations. Laboratory experiments and field observations were performed from August to September of 2014, in order to check the entire system of the telescope and the software, and the results were compared to the centroid experiments which pursue the best accuracy of determination of the center of star images with a simple optical system. It was also investigated how the vibrations of mercury surface affect the centroid position on Charge Coupled Device (CCD). The results of the experiments showed that the effects of vibrations are almost common to stars in the same view, and they can be corrected by removing mean variation of the stars; and that the vibration of mercury surface can cause errors in centroid as large as 0.2 arcsec; and that there is a strong correlation between the Standard Deviation (SD) of variation of the centroid position and signal to noise ratio (SNR) of star images. It is likely that the accuracy of one (1) milli arcsecond is possible if SNR is high enough and the effects of vibrations are corrected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amorphous iron/carbon mixture was prepared by sonolysis of ferrocene in diphenylmethane. Heating of the amorphous mixture at 900 or 1200 °C produced nanoparticles, which were then analyzed using Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The nanoparticles obtained after heating were spherical with diameters of about 50 nm. The sample obtained after heating at 900 °C consisted of α-Fe and Fe C, whereas the sample obtained after heating at 1200 °C consisted of α-Fe and γ-Fe. The reaction of the mixture during the heating process was accompanied by the formation of carbon nanotubes catalyzed by the iron or iron carbide nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi-national project (the EMRP InK project) was completed recently, which successfully determined the thermodynamic temperatures of several of the high-temperature fixed points above the copper point. The National Metrology Institute of Japan contributed to this project with its newly established absolute spectral radiance calibration capability. In the current study, we have extended the range of thermodynamic temperature measurement to below the copper point and measured the thermodynamic temperatures of the indium point ( $$T_{90} =$$ 429.748 5 $$\hbox {K}$$ ), tin point (505.078 K), zinc point (692.677 K), aluminum point (933.473 K) and the silver point (1 234.93 K) by radiance comparison against the copper point, with a set of radiation thermometers having center wavelengths ranging from $$0.65\,\upmu \hbox {m}$$ to $$1.6\,\upmu \hbox {m}$$ . The copper-point temperature was measured by the absolute radiation thermometer which was calibrated by radiance method traceable to the electrical substitution cryogenic radiometer. The radiance of the fixed-point blackbodies was measured by standard radiation thermometers whose spectral responsivity and nonlinearity are precisely evaluated, and then the thermodynamic temperatures were determined from radiance ratios to the copper point. The values of $$T-T_{90}$$ for the silver-, aluminum-, zinc-, tin- and indium-point cells were determined as −4 mK ( $$U = 104\,\hbox {mK}, k=2$$ ), −99 mK (88 mK), −76 mK (76 mK), −68 mK (163 mK) and −42 mK (279 mK), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction products of isolated single iron atoms in a low concentration matrix of ethylene were studied using in-beam Mössbauer spectroscopy with a short-lived Mn ( T =1.45 m) beam. The in-beam Mössbauer spectrum of Fe arising from Mn in a matrix of ethylene and argon measured at 16 K was analyzed with four components. Density functional theory calculations were carried out to confirm the assignments. It was suggested that the reaction produced monoiron species of Fe(C H ) with a spin state of S = 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave kinetic inductance detector (MKID) is one of the candidates of focal plane detector for future satellite missions such as LiteBIRD. For the space use of MKIDs, the radiation tolerance is one of the challenges to be characterized prior to the launch. Aluminum (Al) MKIDs with 50 nm thickness on silicon substrate and on sapphire substrate were irradiated with a proton beam of 160 MeV at the heavy ion medical accelerator in Chiba. The total water-equivalent absorbed dose was $$\sim $$ 10 krad which should simulate the worst radiation absorption of 5 years observation at the Lagrange point L2. We measured characteristics of these MKIDs before and after the irradiation. We found no significant changes on resonator quality factor, responsivity, and recombination time of quasi-particles. The change on electrical noise equivalent power was also evaluated, and no significant increase was found at the noise level of $$O(10^{-18})$$ W/ $$\sqrt{ \mathrm{Hz} }$$ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-beam Mössbauer spectra of Fe after Mn ( T= 1.45 min) implantation into a CH matrix and mixture matrices of CH and Ar at 18 K were measured. The spectrum obtained in the CH matrix was analyzed well with a doublet and a singlet peaks. These components were assigned to two constitutional isomers of Fe(CH ) $_{\mathrm {2}}^{\mathrm {+}}$ as derived from density functional theory calculations and the Mössbauer parameters. In the case of the low concentration of CH with an Ar matrix, the Fe (3d 4s) in the excited state atomic configuration and Fe (3d 4s ) in the ground state were observed, as observed in our previous implantation experiment into Ar and Xe matrices. The formation yields of Fe(CH ) $_{\mathrm {2}}^{\mathrm {+}}$ are discussed in term of the number of first-nearest-neighbor CH molecules around an Fe ion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly energetic Mn ( T = 1.45 m) was generated by nuclear projectile fragmentation in a heavy-ion accelerator, and implanted into lithium hydride (LiH) and lithium deuteride (LiD) at 578 K. Mössbauer spectroscopy with β − γ coincidence detection was then carried out on the Fe obtained from βdecay of the Mn to study the time dependence of the site distributions and coordination environments of dilute Fe atoms implanted in the LiH and LiD. The results suggest that the Fe atoms can substitute for either the Li and H or D atoms within 100 ns. Additionally, the displacement behavior of the substitutional Fe atoms on the lattice sites is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron oxide ( γ-FeO) and iron carbide (FeC) particles were produced by the polyol method. Ferrocene, which was employed as an iron source, was decomposed in a mixture of 1,2-hexadecandiol, oleylamine, and 1-octadecene. Particles were characterized using Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that oleylamine acted as a capping reagent, leading to uniform-sized (12-16 nm) particles consisting of γ-Fe O. On the other hand, 1-octadecene acted as a non-coordinating solvent and a carbon source, which led to particles consisting of FeC and α-Fe with various sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predictive, Preventive and Personalized Medicine as the Medicine of the Future represents an innovative model for advanced healthcare and robust platform for relevant industrial branches for diagnostics and pharmaceutics. However, rapid market penetration of new medicines and technologies demands the implementation of reforms not only in the spheres of biopharmaceutical industries and healthcare, but also in education. Therefore, the problem of the fundamental, modern preparation of specialists in bioengineering and affiliated fields is becoming particularly urgent, and it requires significant revision of training programs of higher education practice into current medical universities. Modernization and integration of widely accepted medical and teaching standards require consolidation of both the natural sciences and medical sciences that may become the conceptual basis for a university medical education. The main goal of this training is not simply to achieve advanced training and expansion of technological skills, but to provide development of novel multifaceted approaches to build academic schools for future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi-partner project to determine the thermodynamic temperatures of a selected set of high-temperature fixed points based on metal-carbon eutectics is underway as a working group activity within the Comité International des Poids et Mesures. The investigation focuses on four fixed-point types, namely, the three metal-carbon eutectic points of Re-C $$(2474\,^{\circ }\hbox {C})$$ , Pt-C $$(1738\,^{\circ }\hbox {C})$$ , and Co-C $$(1324\,^{\circ }\hbox {C})$$ , and the Cu point $$(1084.62\,^{\circ }\hbox {C})$$ . This paper describes the construction, pre-evaluation, and screening stage of the cells prior to their thermodynamic temperature determinations. The construction of the HTFP cells was undertaken by nine national metrology institutes (NMIs) according to instructions laid out in a pre-agreed protocol that ensures production of best quality cells. Four NMIs conducted the evaluation, each for a certain fixed-point type, and screened out cells that did not meet pre-determined selection criteria while assuring sufficient variety in the sources of the cells in the final selected sets. In autumn 2012, the selected cells were successfully passed on to the final stage of the project, the thermodynamic temperature measurement, and assignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Asia Pacific Metrology Programme (APMP) comparisons of radiation thermometry standards, APMP TS-11, and -12, have recently been initiated. These new APMP comparisons cover the temperature range from $$156\,^{\circ }\hbox {C}$$ to $$2800\, ^{\circ }\hbox {C}$$ . Three radiation thermometers with central wavelengths of 1.6 $$\upmu \hbox {m}$$ , 0.9 $$\upmu \hbox {m}$$ , and 0.65 $$\upmu \hbox {m}$$ are the transfer devices for the radiation thermometer scale comparison conducted in the so-called star configuration. In parallel, a compact fixed-point blackbody furnace that houses six types of fixed-point cells of In, Sn, Zn, Al, Ag, and Cu is circulated, again in a star-type comparison, to substantiate fixed-point calibration capabilities. Twelve APMP national metrology institutes are taking part in this endeavor, in which the National Metrology Institute of Japan acts as the pilot. In this article, the comparison scheme is described with emphasis on the features of the transfer devices, i.e., the radiation thermometers and the fixed-point blackbodies. Results of preliminary evaluations of the performance and characteristic of these instruments as well as the evaluation method of the comparison results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calibration of infrared radiation thermometers at non-unity emissivity settings is a poorly solved problem for establishment of traceability to meet user needs, for instruments with both fixed and variable emissivity setting functions. A variable-temperature gray-body radiator having a constant value of emissivity independent of both wavelength and temperature can be a perfect tool for the calibration purpose. In this paper, two types of high-transmittance optical neutral density filters, one utilizing a rotating-sector optical chopper, and another of a wire-mesh type, are shown to perform well with a precise transmittance between 90 % and 100 % in the wide infrared wavelength range. These optical filters in combination with a blackbody cavity traceable to ITS-90 can realize reliable gray-body radiation. These methods are applied successfully to several models of infrared thermometers operated in the emissivity correction mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of radiation thermometry in industrial scenes is rapidly increasing with the widespread use of low-cost infrared thermometers and thermal imagers. However, their performances are not always up to the users' expectations. This is often due to lack of appropriate information on the limitations of the instrument performance and of radiation thermometry itself. In this article, these limitations are disclosed, namely the targeting capabilities of the thermometers including the size-of-source effect of thermal imagers, reflection errors, and unknown emissivity of the measurement object. Attempts made at the NMIJ are introduced, which aim at alleviating the effect of these difficulties. Two-color radiation thermometers have been neglected from the traceability chain and from standardization efforts due to their technical complexity. Recent activities to incorporate them effectively in the calibration chain and to establish international standards are presented. Calibration of low-cost thermometers with a fixed instrumental emissivity setting has been an issue for calibration laboratories. Simple apparatus that enables calibration of such instruments is described. Methods to compensate for unknown emissivities are presented utilizing auxiliary sources to realize a blackbody condition, which is applied to thermal imagers to overcome the problem of the size-of-source effect and reflection error at the same time. Extensions of the technique to objects with specular and scattering surfaces are described. Such efforts are encouraged in the thermometry community since they are essential in establishing an unbroken chain of traceability to the industrial front. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ), a new monochromator-based absolute radiometric calibration system for radiation thermometers has been developed with a supercontinuum (SC) source instead of a tungsten-halogen lamp. Compared with halogen lamps, remarkably higher spectral radiance can be obtained from the SC-monochromator-based system because the SC optical radiation can be efficiently coupled into the narrow entrance slit of the monochromator, thus enabling coupling of the monochromatic light from the exit slit into an integrating sphere, which serves as a wavelength-tunable source for calibrating radiation thermometers against a reference detector. In this work, the setup and preliminary measurement results of the SC-source-based system at the NMIJ are described. Techniques for power stabilization, wavelength determination, spatial-uniformity improvement, and interference fringe reduction are applied to the system. The uncertainties of the facility for thermodynamic temperature measurements are estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pilot comparison of radiance temperature scale realizations between the National Institute of Metrology Thailand (NIMT) and the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) was conducted. At the two national metrology institutes (NMIs), a 900 nm radiation thermometer, used as the transfer artifact, was calibrated by a means of a multiple fixed-point method using the fixed-point blackbody of Zn, Al, Ag, and Cu points, and by means of relative spectral responsivity measurements according to the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90) definition. The Sakuma-Hattori equation is used for interpolating the radiance temperature scale between the four fixed points and also for extrapolating the ITS-90 temperature scale to 2000 $$^{\circ }$$ C. This paper compares the calibration results in terms of fixed-point measurements, relative spectral responsivity, and finally the radiance temperature scale. Good agreement for the fixed-point measurements was found in case a correction for the change of the internal temperature of the artifact was applied using the temperature coefficient measured at the NMIJ. For the realized radiance temperature range from 400 $$^{\circ }$$ C to 1100 $$^{\circ }$$ C, the resulting scale differences between the two NMIs are well within the combined scale comparison uncertainty of 0.12 $$^{\circ }$$ C ( $$k=1$$ ). The resulting spectral responsivity measured at the NIMT has a comparable curve to that measured at the NMIJ especially in the out-of-band region, yielding a ITS-90 scale difference within 1.0 $$^{\circ }$$ C from the Cu point to 2000 $$^{\circ }$$ C, whereas the realization comparison uncertainty of NIMT and NMIJ combined is 1.2 $$^{\circ }$$ C ( $$k=1$$ ) at 2000 $$^{\circ }$$ C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron carbide nanoparticles were produced by ultrasonication of ferrocene in diphenylmethane and their properties were investigated using Mössbauer spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The as-prepared particles were amorphous paramagnetic iron carbides, and the particles obtained after annealing exhibited magnetic components. The particles obtained after annealing at 873 K under argon flow for 2 h consisted of FeC, α-Fe, and paramagnetic iron carbide, while Mössbauer spectra indicated that no iron oxides were present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron sulfide particles were prepared using a polyol method; a mixture of ferrocene, 1,2-hexadecanediol (HD), and 1-octadecanethiol in oleylamine were heated to obtain particles. The particles were investigated using Mössbauer spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction. Hexagonal plate shaped FeS particles with sizes of 2-3 μm were obtained in the solvent without HD, whereas 100-200 nm FeS particles were obtained in the presence of HD. The FeS particles were transformed to FeS (greigite) by heating at 100 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron fluoride thin films were produced by the reaction of laser-evaporated iron atoms with sulfur hexafluoride (SF) gas. The iron fluoride films were investigated using Mössbauer spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The composition of the iron fluoride films changed according to the pressure of ambient SF gas: FeF was obtained at high pressure, while FeF was obtained at low pressure. In addition, the size of FeF crystallites produced in the film was controlled by the substrate temperature during pulsed laser deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local structures in zinc oxide (ZnO) doped with In ions were investigated by means of the time-differential perturbed angular correlation (TDPAC) method with the Cd(← In) probe. Indium-concentration dependence of the TDPAC spectra suggests that the local structures formed by the impurities are sensitive to their population in the system: In ions occupy defect-free Zn sites when doped with a trace amount; they locally form microscopic unique structures widely dispersed in ZnO at 0.05 at. % or higher; and other compounds are formed at the In concentration as high as 10 at. %. Their characteristic structures are discussed based on the hyperfine-interaction parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

POU5F1B (POU domain class 5 transcription factor 1B), a processed pseudogene that is highly homologous to OCT4, was recently shown to be transcribed in cancer cells, but its clinical relevance and biological function have remained unclear. We now show that POU5F1B, which is located adjacent to MYC on human chromosome 8q24, is frequently amplified in gastric cancer (GC) cell lines. POU5F1B, but not OCT4, was also found to be expressed at a high level in GC cell lines and clinical specimens. In addition, the DNA copy number and mRNA abundance for POU5F1B showed a positive correlation in both cancer cell lines and GC specimens. Overexpression of POU5F1B in GC cells promoted colony formation in vitro as well as both tumorigenicity and tumor growth in vivo, and these effects were enhanced in the additional presence of MYC overexpression. Furthermore, knockdown of POU5F1B expression with a short hairpin RNA confirmed a role for the endogenous pseudogene in the promotion of cancer cell growth in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. POU5F1B overexpression induced upregulation of various growth factors in GC cells as well as exhibited mitogenic, angiogenic and antiapoptotic effects in GC xenografts. Finally, amplification of POU5F1B was detected in 17 (12%) of 145 cases of GC and was a significant predictor of poor prognosis in patients with stage IV disease. In conclusion, we found that the POU5F1B pseudogene is amplified and expressed at a high level in, as well as confers an aggressive phenotype on, GC, and that POU5F1B amplification is associated with a poor prognosis in GC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicobacter pylori infection induces chronic inflammation that contributes to gastric tumorigenesis. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) is a proinflammatory cytokine, and polymorphism in the TNF-α gene increases the risk of gastric cancer. We herein investigated the role of TNF-α in gastric tumorigenesis using Gan mouse model, which recapitulates human gastric cancer development. We crossed Gan mice with TNF-α (Tnf) or TNF-α receptor TNFR1 (Tnfrsf1a) knockout mice to generate Tnf−/− Gan and Tnfrsf1a−/− Gan mice, respectively, and examined their tumor phenotypes. Notably, both Tnf−/− Gan mice and Tnfrsf1a−/− Gan mice showed similar, significant suppression of gastric tumor growth compared with control Tnf+/+ or Tnfrsf1a+/+ Gan mice. These results indicate that TNF-α signaling through TNFR1 is important for gastric tumor development. Bone marrow (BM) transplantation experiments showed that TNF-α expressed by BM-derived cells (BMDCs) stimulates the TNFR1 on BMDCs by an autocrine or paracrine manner, which is important for gastric tumor promotion. Moreover, the microarray analysis and colony formation assay indicated that NADPH oxidase organizer 1 (Noxo1) and Gna14 are induced in tumor epithelial cells in a TNF-α-dependent manner, and have an important role in tumorigenicity and tumor-initiating cell property of gastric cancer cells. Accordingly, it is possible that the activation of TNF-α/TNFR1 signaling in the tumor microenvironment promotes gastric tumor development through induction of Noxo1 and Gna14, which contribute to maintaining the tumor cells in an undifferentiated state. The present results indicate that targeting the TNF-α/TNFR1 pathway may be an effective preventive or therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ligands of transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinases have important roles in cell proliferation, survival, migration and differentiation in solid tumours. We conducted this study to evaluate the relationship between concentration of serum ligands and prognosis of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibodies.Methods: Between August 2008 and August 2011, serum samples were obtained from KRAS wild-type patients who met the inclusion criteria and received an anti-EGFR antibody treatment. Serum concentration of ligands was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and somatic mutations of KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA and BRAF were analysed by direct sequencing.Results: A total of 103 patients were enrolled in the present study. At the pretreatment serum levels, patients with high levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) had shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with those with low levels of HGF (median PFS: 6.4 months vs 4.4 months; P<0.001, median OS: 15.3 months vs 8.0 months; P<0.001, respectively). Patients with high levels of epiregulin (EREG) also had shorter PFS and OS compared with those with low levels of EREG (median PFS: 6.6 months vs 4.9 months; P=0.016, median OS: 13.8 months vs 7.4 months; P=0.048, respectively). In addition, patients whose serum levels of ligands were elevated at progressive disease had shorter PFS and OS compared with other patients.Conclusions: Our study indicated that high levels of HGF and EREG were associated with resistance to treatment with anti-EGFR antibodies in KRAS wild-type patients with mCRC. Our findings will contribute to the newly combination therapy on the treatment of anti-EGFR antibodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in-beam Mössbauer spectrum of Mn implanted into a Xe solid at 14 K was measured. Four singlets were observed in the spectrum, assigned to Fe (3d), Fe (3d4s), Fe (3d4s), and Fe (3d4s). The assignments were in agreement with calculated electron densities at nuclei reported in the literature. The β-decay of Mn did not disturb the surrounding Xe lattice, showing a singlet peak, and the excited states were stabilized in the time range of the Mössbauer measurements of ~100 ns. The production mechanism was explained in terms of the reduction of Mn and Fe ions by free electrons in the Xe matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new detector system for the coincidence technique between Mössbauer γ-rays and energetic β-rays originating from Mn has been developed for in-beam Mössbauer spectroscopy using Mn implantation. This system enables time-resolved Mössbauer measurements of Fe at various elapsed times after β-decay of Mn with sufficient quality. We applied this system to the time-dependent measurement of the site distributions of dilute Fe atoms in n-type Si. It was suggested that Fe atoms were already located at substitutional and interstitial positions in Si within a time of about 100 ns after the β-decay of Mn, and that the occupancy ratio between these positions was hardly dependent on the elapsed time after the β-decay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cynomolgus macaque ( Macaca fascicularis) is currently used as an animal model in various fields of immunology especially in the development of innovative vaccines for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. The polymorphism of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) influences the development of adaptive immune responses and it is crucial to characterize the polymorphism of cynomolgus MHC genes. We present here a systematic study of the MHC class II haplotypes in the Filipino macaque population. By the study of a large sample of Filipino animals ( N = 353), we have characterized 18 MHC class II haplotypes by means of genotyping seven microsatellites. The animals were DRB genotyped by means of PCR-SSO or DGGE-sequencing on genomic amplified fragments. We cloned and sequenced the complementary DNA (cDNA) of DQA, DQB, DPA, and DPB genes of 117 animals. Combining the microsatellite genotyping and cDNA characterized in the 117 animals, we defined genetic association between the cDNA and the microsatellites and characterized 18 MHC class II haplotypes. For 104 animals out of the 353 studied, the presence of a recombinant haplotype was highly probable. Thirty-four percent of recombination was located in 256 kb segment between D6S2876 and D6S2747 microsatellites, a region encompassing several hot spots of recombination in the human MHC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross sections of pd breakup reaction at E = 250 MeV were measured systematically in single-proton detection and in two-proton coincidence detection. Measured cross section is up to two times higher than calculated ones. The enhancement of breakup cross section is similar to reported enhancement in pd elastic scattering cross section. Origins of this enhancement are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Project Athena is an international collaboration testing the efficacy of high-resolution global climate models. We compare results from 7-km mesh experiments of the Nonhydrostatic Icosahedral Atmospheric Model (NICAM) and 10-km mesh experiments of the Integrated Forecast System (IFS), focusing on the Intra-Seasonal Oscillation (ISO) and its relationship with tropical cyclones (TC) among the boreal summer period (21 May-31 Aug) of 8 years (2001-2002, 2004-2009). In the first month of simulation, both models capture the intra-seasonal oscillatory behavior of the Indian monsoon similar to the observed boreal summer ISO in approximately half of the 8-year samples. The IFS simulates the NW-SE-oriented rainband and the westerly location better, while NICAM marginally reproduces mesoscale organized convective systems and better simulates the northward migration of the westerly peak and precipitation, particularly in 2006. The reproducibility of the evolution of MJO depends on the given year; IFS simulates the MJO signal well for 2002, while NICAM simulates it well for 2006. An empirical orthogonal function analysis shows that both models statistically reproduce MJO signals similar to observations, with slightly better phase speed reproduced by NICAM. Stronger TCs are simulated in NICAM than in IFS, and NICAM shows a wind-pressure relation for TCs closer to observations. TC cyclogenesis is active during MJO phases 3 and 4 in NICAM as in observations. The results show the potential of high-resolution global atmospheric models in reproducing some aspects of the relationship between MJO and TCs and the statistical behavior of TCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]